- A new book chronicles the stories of a forgotten community buried at Hardekraaltjie Cemetery, now the site of Stellenbosch University’s Tygerberg Campus.
- Edited by Marietjie Oelofse and Chefferrino Fortuin, the book captures the memories of descendants and aims to honour the legacy of this lost community.
- This project is part of SU’s effort to acknowledge and restore connections with the communities impacted by the cemetery’s decommissioning and land repurposing.
A landmark book chronicling the stories and memories of a nearly forgotten community buried in the former Hardekraaltjie Cemetery was presented to members of the Ravensmead community this week.
The book, Landscapes of Dispossession – Stories of Hardekraaltjie Cemetery as Told by People from Tiervlei-Ravensmead, is part of Stellenbosch University’s (SU) visual redress and restitution project to memorialise this historic burial site on the grounds where SU’s Tygerberg Campus and Tygerberg Hospital are now situated.
Reflection
The book, published by Jacana Media, captures the reflections and perspectives of community members affected by the cemetery’s decommissioning in 1946. It preserves the stories and memories of descendants of the more than 700 people buried there in the early 1900s.
“This book, from a community whose stories and perspectives almost got lost in the annals of our institutional histories, is vital for the preservation of identity and history and it thus reconnects our university community’s link with the past,” says Dr Leslie van Rooi, SU’s senior director of social impact and transformation. “We believe that the documentation of narratives create a platform for healing and dialogue while furthering our commitment to connecting with the communities the university works in.”
The book is part of a broader initiative to memorialise the historic cemetery and recognise the dispossession of communities whose families, friends and loved ones were buried there. The initiative is overseen by the Hardekraaltjie Steering Committee, comprising members of the Ravensmead/Tiervlei community, SU, and Tygerberg Hospital.
Edited by Marietjie Oelofse and Chefferrino Fortuin, the book features stories from 29 descendants whose ancestors are buried in Hardekraaltjie Cemetery.
Prof Aslam Fataar, a higher education transformation researcher at SU, explains: “Within these pages, descendants write about their childhood memories of playing in the cemetery and visiting graves with their parents. They also preserve and share stories passed down by their elders, honouring their ancestors and community members laid to rest in the cemetery.”
The cemetery operated from 1910 to 1946 and held central importance in the lives of the former Tiervlei community, who were later subjected to forced removals under the apartheid regime’s Group Areas Act. In 1974, the then Parow municipality transferred a portion of the land to SU for the expansion of its sports facilities.
The issue was first brought to the university’s attention by a former staff member, Daniel Dietrich, whose father and paternal uncle were buried there. Over the past decade, SU has consulted with community members to restore their connection to the cemetery and memorialise their ancestors appropriately.
Powerful reminder
Dr Therese Fish, vice-dean of clinical services and social impact at SU’s faculty of medicine and health sciences, notes: “This book serves as a powerful reminder of our past and is also a call to recognise and support marginalised voices whether through focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices or social determinants of health.”
The book was presented to 30 community members and community researchers at an event held at the Protestant Church of Africa in Ravensmead. Additional books will also be provided to local libraries and schools.
Copies of the book can be purchased from all good bookstores or via the Jacana Media website at www.jacana.co.za.
